Filed under: Microsoft

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Windows x64

Yes, Windows 7 really will RTM in ten days

by Lee Mathews Jul 3rd 2009

Microsoft has activated the ~~kill~~ annoy-the-crap-out-of-you switch on Windows 7 Beta and urged us to install the RC, upgrade coupon plans have been announced, pre-orders are being taken, the Family Pack license has surfaced, and things appear to be on track for the RTM to release just ten days from now.

As mentioned a two weeks ago - and now been confirmed by an 'inside source' close to our chum Paul at Geeksmack - the final build is slated for July 10th and code sign-off will follow on the 13th.

General availability won't come until October, officially. However, since the RTM ISO downloads will be available to Technet and MSDN subscribers soon, they'll probably be available on every torrent tracker in the known universe within hours of the first successful download.

Or sooner, if the crew at Wzor.net is feeling generous.

Tags: release, rtm, scedule, windows-7

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Family Pack license for Windows 7 could cover 3 machines on the cheap

by Lee Mathews Jul 2nd 2009

Got three computers at home? There is reason to believe that Microsoft will let you license Windows 7 on all of them for a very competitive price.

In recent leaked RTM branch builds of WIndows 7 Home Premium, there's been an interesting language chance in the license agreement under "Installation Use and Rights":

b. Family Pack. If you are a "Qualified Family Pack User", you may install one copy of the software marked as "Family Pack" on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there. Those computers are the "licensed computers" and are subject to these license terms. If you do not know whether you are a Qualified Family Pack User, visit go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=141399 or contact the Microsoft affiliate serving your country.

No, the link doesn't work yet, but this seems to indicate that Microsoft is going to offer a multi-license pack of Windows 7 Home Premium. Other builds (Ultimate, Pro, etc.) don't contain the Family Pack wording.

It makes sense for several reasons. First, Microsoft offered a similar deal for Vista upgrades when it was released - a two pack for $49.99. Second, they use this strategy to push Office 2007 with the Home and Student edition. Third, Apple does it with Leopard and at one hell of a price: $199 for up to five Macs under the same roof.
CNet's Ed Bott predicts Microsoft will undercut Apple slightly and we'll see the Family Pack priced at $189.99, though it will likely cover three machines as the Office license does.

[via Kristan Kenney]

Tags: home-and-student, licensing, windows-7

Filed under: Blogging, Microsoft, Freeware, Lists

6 Microsoft freebies I actually love to use

by Lee Mathews Jul 1st 2009

No, Windows won't ever compete with Linux on price. However, even though Microsoft isn't giving away their RTM operating systems for free, they do offer a lot of great software and services at no charge. Here are my six favorites -- feel free to share yours with us in the comments!

1. Windows Live Writer - If you don't blog, Live Writer probably isn't that useful to you. If you do, though, it's hard to find a Windows application that can compete with WLW. It's got loads of great features including plugin support so I can add things like Twitter integration.

2. SysInternals - There are so many useful apps under the SysInternals umbrella - Autoruns, Process Explorer, Desktops, RegMon - the list goes on and on. There's also live.sysinternals.com to provide easy access to them all when I forget my usb flash drive. Awesome.

Tags: free, list, live-sync, microsoft, security-essentials, skydrive, sysinternals, tools, utilities, windows

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows 7 Beta shuts down today. Repeatedly (time to upgrade to RC)

by Brad Linder Jul 1st 2009

So you downloaded the first beta version of Windows 7 when it was released to the public in January. You installed it on a separate partition on your Windows XP, Vista, Linux, or OS X box played around with it for a little while and then forgot about it. You never got around to installing the Windows 7 release candidate that came later.

Well, let me tell you what will happen the next time you boot up Windows 7 Beta. You'll be able to use your computer for about 2 hours and then it will restart. Microsoft built a little time bomb into the beta to remind users to upgrade or remove the operating system. Subtle, not so much. Effective? Yes. Annoying? Definitely.

If you want to keep using a free version of Windows 7, it's time to upgrade to Windows 7 RC. But there's a time bomb on the release candidate as well. Starting on march 1st, 2010 it will begin restarting every two hours as well, and come June 1st, 2010 it'll just stop working. But since Microsoft will begin shipping the full version of Windows 7 on October 22nd of this year, you should have plenty of opportunity to upgrade by then.

In the meantime, Microsoft is essentially letting you run (and test) Windows 7 for a year and a half for free. Just remember to download Windows 7 RC by August 15th.

Tags: windows-7, windows-7-beta, windows-7-rc

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial, Beta, Windows x64

Microsoft to OEMs: cut off free Vista to Windows 7 upgrades at 25

by Lee Mathews Jun 29th 2009

When pricing information for Windows 7 upgrades first appeared, it sounded like more good news for consumers. The leaked Best Buy memo offered a price of $49.99, and Windows 7 fanatics everywhere cheered. That, coupled with the free upgrade coupons OEMs were offering to consumers sure made it look like Microsoft was going to be extremely aggressive with pricing.

Fast forward, and now we know that the rock-bottom price is for pre-orders only and retail copies will set you back $119.99 for Home Premium and $199.99 for Professional. That's only $10 less than Vista upgrades ran initially, and hardly what I'd call aggressive.

Further disappointing news is that Microsoft has now instructed OEMs to cap free upgrades on volume purchase at 25 units. While that's plenty of room for smaller businesses, it's a sharp two-finger salute to medium and large business.

Four small businesses can get 100 free upgrades, but your large enterprise has to pay for the extra 75?

Ouch.

That's not really the kind of announcement that will make IT administrators jump at the chance to get new metal running Windows 7.

[via Daily Tech]

Tags: enterprise, upgrade-coupon, vista-to-7, windows-7

Filed under: Security, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware, Beta, Windows x64

Microsoft Security Essentials tested, passes with flying colors

by Lee Mathews Jun 26th 2009

Regular Download Squad readers already know that I've been testing Microsoft's new Security Essentials since it first appeared in the wild last week and that I've been quite impressed with it so far. Some commenters weren't impressed, however, waving the NOD32 flag even though SE removed threats from my machine that NOD had missed.

AV-Test Labs has now put SE through a slightly more grueling test than scanning my piddly PC. They threw 3,200 different bots, trojans, and viruses along with a slew of items designed to trigger false positives and Security Essentials was up for the task.

In an email to Computerworld, Andreas Marx of AV-Test reported "All files were properly detected and treated by the product," said Marx in an e-mail. "That's good, as several other [antivirus] scanners are still not able to detect and kill all of these critters yet. None of the clean files were noted as malicious." The program was also able to tackle rootkits, though AV-Test will put it through more comprehensive testing before making a verdict on that particular ability.

Marx also addressed the concerns that SE was using Microsoft's own servers for cloud-based scanning. "The scanner works with the locally-installed anti-virus and anti-spyware databases -- it doesn't appear to use 'in-the-cloud scanning' methods," he stated.

If you missed out on the original download from Microsoft, don't fret. The nice folks at Softpedia have mirrored the SE files for you.

Tags: antivirus, malware, microsoft-security-essentials, morro, rootkit, virus

Filed under: Audio, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Apple, Microsoft, Freeware

BPM Analyzer gives you the tempo of all of your MP3s

by Jason Clarke Jun 26th 2009

Creating playlists can be tedious, and every bit of information can help. While some people maintain the ID3 tags in their MP3 files in excruciating detail, others (like me) can't seem to find the time. But when it comes to finding the tempo, no amount of manual ID3 tag maintenance will help.

If you're trying to put together a playlist that contains songs that are a similar speed, knowing the beats-per-minute of each song is immensely helpful. Luckily, there is a free download called BPM Analyzer from MixMeister that will analyze all of your MP3 tracks, and update the ID3 tags in them with exact BPM information. With that done, it's a simple matter of sorting your music library by the beats-per-minute field.

Now you can put together an upbeat energy-boosting playlist full of fast songs, a mellow playlist with slower songs, or pretty much anything you desire. And for the nerds like me, it's just another piece of information to sort and group your music by.

BPM Analyzer is available on both the Windows and Mac operating system.

[via Lifehacker]

Tags: id3 tags, id3-tags, Id3Tags, mac, mp3 files, mp3 tracks, mp3-files, mp3-tracks, Mp3Files, Mp3Tracks, music library, music-library, MusicLibrary, playlist, song, tempo, windows

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows 7 now available for pre-order

by Brad Linder Jun 26th 2009

Right on schedule, Microsoft has begun taking pre-orders for Windows 7. In the US anyway. Customers in the rest of the world will have to wait a little longer. But if you're in the US you can pre-order Windows 7 upgrade packages for about half off, bringing the price of Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade to $49.99 and Windows 7 Professional Upgrade to $99.99.

Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade will still set you back full price, or about $219.99 And at least at Amazon, there are no discounts for full retail versions of the operating systems yet. That means you'll end up paying $199.99 for Home Premium, $299.99 for Professional, and $319.99 for Ultimate.

All versions have a release date of October 22nd. Amazon is limiting pre-orders on Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade and Windows 7 Professional Upgrade to 3 per customer, and the pre-order pricing expires on July 11th or once Microsoft sells a set number of pre-orders. Not that anybody knows exactly what that magic number is.

[via Engadget]

Tags: amazon, windows-7, windows-7-pre-order, windows-7-pricing

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft announces Windows 7 pricing, unveils upgrade program

by Brad Linder Jun 25th 2009

Microsoft has unveiled the consumer prices for Windows 7. Here's the rundown of prices for a full version:

Windows 7 Home Premium: $199.99
Windows 7 Professional: $299.99
Windows 7 Ultimate: $319.99

The prices are lower for users who are upgrading from Windows XP or Vista:

Windows 7 Home Premium: $119.99
Windows 7 Professional: $199.99
Windows 7 Ultimate: $219.99

But wait, there's more. Starting tomorrow, US customers will be able to pre-order the operating system at much lower prices:

Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade pre-order: $49.99
Windows 7 Professional Upgrade pre-order: $99.99

Discounted Pre-order prices will also be available in Canada and Japan for the next few weeks. A pre-order program will launch in the UK, France, and Germany starting July 15th.
There will only be a limited number of pre-orders available. But here's the other bit of good news. If you buy a computer running Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate from a participating OEM or retailer between June 26th, 2009 and January 31st, 2010, you'll likely be able to upgrade to Windows 7 for little or no cost.

There's no information on how much Microsoft will be charging computer makers for Windows 7 licenses, but odds are if you were in the market for a new computer anyway, the cheapest way to get Windows 7 will be to simply buy a new computer. PC makers tend to get much better prices than the general public.

Tags: windows-7, windows-7-pricing

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows 7 box art, packaging gets official(er)

by Brad Linder Jun 24th 2009

Microsoft kind of, sort of confirmed that that leaked images of the Windows 7 box art we spotted last month were legit when the company posted some nearly identical images on a Facebook page recently. But now it's really official. The Windows team has posted an item on the official Windows Blog showcasing the new packaging.

As you can see, the packaging is pretty simple and actually looks a lot like the Windows Vista packaging. But while the cover art may not have received a major redesign, the overall packaging has. The amount of packaging weighs 37% less than previous Windows packages, and the plastic case is recyclable. There's less inside the box as well. All you get is the case, a paper sleeve, and a brief "getting started" guide.

You can find a picture of an opened box after the break.

Tags: windows-7, windows-7-box-art, windows-7-packaging

Filed under: Design, E-mail, Microsoft, Browsers

Much ado about Outlook 2010's lame HTML rendering

by Jay Hathaway Jun 24th 2009

There's a minor uproar happening on Twitter over Microsoft's plans to continue using Word to render HTML email in Outlook 2010. Fixoutlook.org reports that nearly 8,000 people have signed a petition via Twitter to encourage Microsoft to change its mind and support web standards before the new version of Office leaves beta. To back up its claims, the site links to an HTML email message rendered in Outlook 2000, and the same message in Outlook 2010: the new version looks a whole a lot worse.

By sticking with Word's rendering engine, which Microsoft started using to render email in Outlook 2007, Microsoft would also be sticking designers with outdated font tags and tables, instead of the latest CSS hotness. According to The Email Standards Project, Microsoft's reason for doing this is to allow Outlook users to use Word's prepackaged design tools and email templates, and have those render correctly for other Outlook users. Microsoft itself is worried that rendering through a browser could slow performance and lead to inconsistent appearance across different HTML engines.

Tags: email, HTML, microsoft, outlook, outlook2010, protest, standards

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Beta

Windows 7 RC downloads only available through August 15th

by Brad Linder Jun 23rd 2009

If you've been using an early build of Windows 7 beta and haven't upgraded to the Release Candidate yet, you'll probably want to do that by next week. Starting on July 1st, anyone still using Windows 7 Beta will have to put up with their computers rebooting every hour. The beta will expire altogether on August 1st.

Meanwhile, the download program for Windows 7 RC closes on August 15th. You don't necessarily need to install the release candidate by that point, but you will need to download it by then.

It's not surprising that Microsoft is flipping the off switch soon. The company is on track to launch the retail version of Windows on October 22nd, and it's gong to be a lot easier to convince people to buy the software if they can't get it for free.

Tags: windows-7, windows-7-beta, windows-7-rc

Filed under: Fun, Google, Microsoft, Freeware, Time-Wasters

Make a celebrity odd - Time Waster

by Jason Clarke Jun 23rd 2009

Sometimes developers hit the nail on the head when they name their applications. Make A Celebrity Odd is a pretty much perfect name for what the service does. The entire capability of this site is to take a celebrity's name, look up a headshot of them, and make it look weird by applying a mirror-type effect similar to one of the ones you might use in Photo Booth on a Mac.

The fun of it is that it seems to be able to consistently find head shot photos, and this is done through Microsoft's new Bing search engine's API. According to the site, this API offers a unique way to restrict photos found to just faces without showing shoulders, while Google can return faces but there is no ability to get specific about whether or not shoulders are shown. Interestingly, the site falls back to Google if not enough results are found on Bing, which is probably a wise choice. The example image on this post clearly must have come through the fallback Google search.

I wasn't sure what the copyright issues would be with a service like Make A Celebrity Odd, but given that everything on this site is done on the client-side via JavaScript, there may not be any. This is arguably no different than if I were to grab a photo of a celebrity online and put it in Photoshop, then manipulate it for my own entertainment.

Except, of course, that this is a web service that appears to display modified images that likely have copyrights on them.

So, what do you think? Aside from being a fun little time waster for a few minutes, is this site a legitimate use of search results? Do you think Make A Celebrity Odd is on shaky legal ground?

Tags: celebrity, copyright issues, copyright-issues, CopyrightIssues, copyrights, faces, goo

Filed under: Security, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware, Beta, Windows x64

Microsoft Security Essentials public beta now available to download

by Lee Mathews Jun 23rd 2009

It leaked last week, but it didn't take long for Microsoft to follow up with a legitimate download for interested testers: the download page for Microsoft Security Essentials (formerly Moro) is now live.

You'll need to sign in with your Connect account or register for a new one to gain access to the download - for now. There will no doubt be hundreds of happy seeders sharing the Beta on torrent trackers later today.

Microsoft had originally slated only 75,000 spots for beta testers, though they have since announced that the number will be increased to accomodate demand. Interest will likely be high considering the generally positive reviews SE has generated since we first got our hands on it.

We've got a big gallery of screenshots of SE in action, including it detecting the trojan that I *ahem* intentionally left on my machine so I could test the program fully. I've been very happy so far with SE's level of protection and low impact on system performance.

Tags: antivirus, free, microsoft-security-essentials, morro

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Windows x64

Windows 7 RTM final build on schedule for July 10th

by Lee Mathews Jun 22nd 2009

If they're not ~~leaking~~ announcing leaked builds of Windows 7, they're sharing news from internal memos. Wzor.net has posted the time table for Windows 7's path to RTM:

FINAL ROADMAP FOR WINDOWS 7 [CLIENT-SERVER]:
6/1 - 6/19 BUILDING RTM ESCROW - already assembled RTM ESCROW.
6/22 - 7/10 RTM RECALL - assembly and search for candidates to the final RTM release.
7/10 WINDOWS 7 RTM FINAL BUILD TARGET - build day "gold code".
7/13 WINDOWS 7 RTM SIGN-OFF - the date of signing the final RTM release!

Upgrade coupon plans are in place and some pricing details have been leaked (thank you, Best Buy), but none of this is official yet. We'll just have to wait for Microsoft to quit playing the Hokey Pokey with the Windows 7 product page on their web store or at least for an announcement out of Redmond.

It will be interesting to see which appreas first: a leaked VHD of the Windows 7 RTM or Microsoft's announcement that it has been completed.

[via NeoWin]

Tags: windows-7-rtm

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

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